


A Cursed Life

by Lunar_Spice



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Curses, Gen, Long-term goal, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Unsupportive Ursula
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22641211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunar_Spice/pseuds/Lunar_Spice
Summary: The reason Ursula isn’t part of the whole “Escape the Isle, take over the world” deal is because she was cursed right before being trapped there. If her descendants leave the isle they will suffer a slow death. She knows this. She’s told Uma. In fact, the only reason she HAD Uma is because she thought they’d never leave the Isle and so her daughter would be relatively safe.That entire plan goes out the window when Uma decides she wants to be free.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	1. Prologue

Ursula grinned widely as she stirred the water with the trident. Finally, she was ruler over all of the sea! Well, almost. First, she had to deal with a pesky little mermaid who kept getting in her way.

She caught sight of Ariel and blasted the rock she was clinging to. With no source of stability, the princess fell into the enormous whirlpool in front of Ursula. She thrashed around on the drying sand, trying to find some water so she could swim away, but found none. The sea witch nearly cackled. It was almost as if she was offering herself up on a silver platter.

The octopus aimed and shot towards Ariel, missing her once, twice. Ursula gritted her teeth. She would not miss her target again. "So much for true love!" She roared, rearing back to finally destroy that naïve mermaid.

Before she could shoot, however, a searing pain in her side caused Ursula to lose her focus. She screamed, glancing down long enough to register that the pitiful human had stabbed her. Ursula's vision wavered and started to blur. She knew that that had been a fatal blow.

_If I'm going, you're going with me_ , came her last conscious thought. She knew she was dying, so, instead of falling straight down to her death, Ursula leaned forward. She felt her body crash onto the ship that the prince had been on. Together, the sea witch and the ship sank below the waves. As she succumbed to the inky blackness, she hoped that she had been able to crush the damned prince.

* * *

Ursula wasn't sure how long she floated in the silence, surrounded by darkness, but she didn't care. It was calming, like waves on a beach.

"...worked. How long until she's at full power?"

Voices. That was the first thing that cut through the silence. Ursula let her head loll to the side as she drew a slow breath.

Her entire body ached. The last time she felt this bad was when Jetsam was teething. He had caught one of her tentacles in his jaw and refused to let it go. She absently wondered if he had gotten Flotsam to join in this time.

Wait a second... The last thing Ursula remembered was Prince Eric ramming his ship into her side. She should be dead.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, the sea witch bolted upright. Her tentacles whipped around as a reflex, as her left hand immediately grabbed her side. She expected to find a deep gash, still bleeding heavily, but all she saw was smooth skin. Ursula fixed the trio in front of her with a steely glare. "Who brought me back?"

King Triton narrowed his eyes at her demand. He gestured towards an imposing man who almost seemed like he was growling and a dark-haired woman who was holding an intricate wand. "King Adam decreed that Fairy Godmother bring villains back to life so that they can be punished for their crimes against the crown. Both above and below the waves."

Ursula shifted her attention over to the man - King Adam, apparently. "And I suppose you want me to join those wicked souls in punishment?"

The king stepped forward and cleared his throat. "We are calling it the Isle of the Lost. Every villain and sidekick will be imprisoned on the Island to live out their sentences together. No connection to the outside world and no magic." The speech was well-practiced, Ursula could tell. She wondered how many villains they were planning on imprisoning on the Island. Mentally, she was already rubbing her hands together and cackling. Persuasion had always been one of her gifts, so she could hardly wait to get started. It wouldn't take long for her to rise to power, and she suspected that she would be able to free everyone within the year. She could almost envision leading a horde of villains towards the mainland.

It was a fantastic idea. She would be queen over all the world soon enough!

Yet... The golden trident in Triton's hand seemed to call out to her. Maybe she could achieve power without even needing to go to the Island. Ursula stretched out a tentacle, pretending to only wave it around to interrupt the king's speech. "Yes, yes, I understand. It's a good idea. However," without warning, her tentacle whipped out and wrapped around the trident's handle. "I think I'll pass."

But Ursula hadn't considered how weak she was. On a normal day, the sea witch would have been able to snatch something up quicker than her eels snatching up unsuspecting passersby. But, Ursula later reflected, it really isn't a normal day when one is brought back to life.

Triton and Ursula were locked together, both straining to wrest the trident from the other's grasp. It wasn't until Fairy Godmother summoned magical shackles around each of Ursula's limbs that the witch was forced to let go. She resisted the urge to strain against her bonds, instead opting to glare at the trio with barely concealed hatred.

Triton's eyes were dark as he stared back at Ursula. He didn't even bother hiding his fury. The anger that he held towards the sea witch only intensified when he remembered everything that she had done to trick his youngest daughter, his beloved Ariel. This would be revenge at its very sweetest. "You tricked my daughter and stole her away from me..." He growled as he slowly swam closer. "Now you will know how it feels to lose a daughter!"

Before anyone could stop him, Triton pointed his trident at Ursula and fired a beam of light.

It hit her directly. She let out a groan, already feeling the magical energy binding to her. But the curse wasn't intended for her. Ursula could feel that, even though every bit of her being was saturated in a burning sensation, it wasn't directly harming her.

When Triton finally calmed down after his outburst, he swam back towards King Adam and Fairy Godmother, both of them still looking stunned. Ursula nearly chuckled. She was surprised too. She hadn't thought old seaweed brain had it in him.

A soft voice brought Ursula out of her reverie. Fairy Godmother was leaning close to her as the two kings argued in the background. "Are you ready to go to your new home?"

Ursula gulped as she remembered Triton's words. For once, she let down her barnacle-encrusted walls. She looked up at Fairy Godmother, fear evident in her eyes. "Will I never have children?" She asked in a whisper.

Fairy Godmother's heart broke when she heard those words. She understood the witch's pain; she herself wanted to settle down someday and have a child. She couldn't bear imagining if someone took that hope for the future and crushed it before it even got started.

Thankful that the kings were still arguing, Fairy Godmother pulled her wand out again and waved it over Ursula. "The curse that Triton hit you with has already bound itself to you and your unborn son or daughter. I can't remove it, but I may be able to slow it down."

Ursula nodded, desperate to help her child's life last as long as possible. It only occurred to her later how kind and generous the fairy had been. Maybe she could spare her when the villains all took over the world.

Without further discussion, Fairy Godmother swung her wand towards Ursula. The witch braced for the burning sensation to get worse, but she felt it slowly lessen to a steady heat that warmed her from the inside. "What is this magic? It's unlike anything I've ever seen."

"Magic has come a long way since you died," Fairy Godmother explained. "I know you're very confused about the curse, so I'll try to explain as quickly as I can." She stole a glance over her shoulder at the two kings, who seemed to have forgotten both the argument and the sea witch, instead simply regaling each other with stories. "Triton cursed you so that any children you have from now on will die as soon as they are born. I was able to change it, but only slightly. Your children will no longer die immediately, but slowly. The curse also needs magic to work, so as long as your child stays on the Island, he or she will be safe."

The sea witch sighed in relief. She knew that she had no reason to trust Fairy Godmother, but she did. It wasn't like she had anything more to lose.

"One more thing," Fairy Godmother said as she made a small twirling motion with her wand. A ring of magic appeared, encircling Ursula. "Your children will be powerful leaders, should you still decide to have them. They will gain power by hearing their name spoken by their followers, whether on the Island or not."

Ursula nodded again, trying to absorb all of this new knowledge. She hoped that there would be a library on the Island; she needed to get caught up with this new magic if she was going to someday wield it. She still wasn't sure why she was trusting Fairy Godmother. For all she knew, the mild-mannered demeanor was a red herring. If she was completely honest, she wasn't even sure why the fairy was willingly helping her. After all, it wasn't like Ursula had payment for her.

All of a sudden, the ring around Ursula jerked violently, sending the octopus sprawling onto concrete.

When she looked up, Ursula realized that she had been transported to a sort of courtyard. There in front of her was an archway, but she didn't even bother approaching it. She was able to see the faint shimmer of a magical barrier, even from a distance.

_No magic_ , she remembered, as she felt for her necklace. it was empty, nothing more than a worthless trinket at this point. Ursula already missed the feeling of magic, missed the thrumming that she could feel just under her cold skin.

But the warmth of the watered-down curse was still there. It surprised the witch, but, then again, magic wasn't an exact science. It did what it wanted. Still, she took comfort in the warm feeling. It reminded her that she and her children had a future together. However dismal it may be.


	2. Chapter 2

Uma didn't know what power felt like before she met Harry.

The two future pirates had found each other late one night. Harry had been by himself, running from his bastard of a father for a night, while Uma was working for her mother, trying to keep the Chip Shop looking half decent.

Uma hated taking out the trash. Well, she hated everything about working for her mother, but the chore she hated the most was taking out the trash.

A lot of the food that was sent to the Isle was already half-moldy, so only the unsalvageable bits went into the trash. There, they decayed even further, attracting flies with their horrid stench.

Uma already debated with herself about when she should get that terrible chore done. Should she put off taking the trash out as long as possible, or get it over with sooner so that she wouldn't have to smell it as long? Usually, Ursula made that decision for her, however. And that was always punctuated with throwing something small - generally a seashell or a water bottle - at Uma's head. It never hurt her physically, but the natural leader in Uma despised being treated like a slave.

Of course, she would never tell her mother that to her face.

Uma grimaced as she held the bag as far away from her nose as she could. To take her mind off of the menial chore she was doing, she instead tried to daydream.

Daydreaming didn't come easily to Uma, but she made do. She liked to think that she would be queen of the world someday, but she could never quite conjure the image up.

She could, however, conjure the image of her jumping up and slamming the bag of garbage into the dumpster. The bin was in sight, and Uma was feeling confident that she could make it.

Three... Two... One!

Uma sighed as the bag exploded on its impact with the edge of the dumpster. She had never made that throw before, but she hadn't stopped trying. Rancid seafood and moldy pieces of soggy bread fell in chunks onto the dark concrete. It had splattered all over her clothes too. The young girl contained her groan of disgust, but only barely.

_Why do I need to take out the trash when the entire Isle is a garbage heap?_ She thought angrily.

As she tried to scrape off a bit of clam - or maybe it was crab; it was hard to tell when the food had gone this bad - Uma heard a small noise further down in the alley..

She pulled a fork out of her pocket to defend herself and approached the strange noise. "Who's there?" She demanded, pleased to hear that her voice had only wavered a tiny bit.

There was a figure, crouched next to a pile of empty boxes. Whoever it was, it seemed to be afraid of her; it shrank back as she approached, and it still hadn't answered her question.

Eventually, Uma became tired of playing games with the figure. She reached forward and grabbed the person by the arm, tugging them into the light of a dumpster fire not that far away.

The boy she came face to face with was unlike any boy she had ever seen. His eyes weren't sunken in, nor were they vacant and distant. Instead, the boy fixed Uma with a piercing gaze. His eyes were bluer than anything she could have imagined. And the look that he had... It was nearly crazy. _Not crazy_ , Uma reminded herself. _Nearly crazy_.

Growing up around Ursula, Uma was used to seeing the mania cross her mother's face when she reminisced about the past too long. She had known that her mother was crazy for a while - not as crazy as the de Vil harpy, but not far off - but she never for used to it. And here was a similar look in the boy's eyes. Yet, for some reason, Uma found this sort of crazy appealing, when, for her mother, it just drove Uma away.

It was only then that Uma realized that the boy was holding something sharp and metal against her throat. She mentally cursed herself; she had gotten so caught up in the boy's eyes that she forgot to be on guard for weapons.

"Well, then," she grinned, seemingly nonchalant (and completely pretending that she hadn't gotten lost in his eyes because _Mark my words, Uma, this is the last time this will ever happen!_ ) "Who're you?"

The boy faltered at her easygoing attitude. He took a few steps back and put both hands behind his back, but Uma wasn't buying it. She suspected that he was just seeing if she would attack him, likely still holding onto his weapon and already with a plan to disarm if not kill her. "'arry," he said proudly with his chin jutting out.

"I'm Uma." She kept it curt, but not nasty. She was still trying to decide if she liked him or not. Most people that she met, she had instant disdain for. But not Harry, for some odd reason.

"Uma," came a small echo from the boy. it was interesting how he said it. It was almost as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be saying. "Huh."

When her mother said her name, she felt angry that she was being treated as a servant. When the sellers at the marketplace said her name, she felt disgust that her name would dare cross their filthy lips. When Harry said her name, Uma felt neither of those things. In fact, she didn't really feel anything at all: no anger, no disgust... Buying time for her to think some more, Uma cocked her hip. "What are you doing out so late, Harry? Don't you know there are all sorts of bad people out here?"

He nodded, visibly swallowing. "Aye, I know that. But none o' them could be worse than me da'. 'e's a bit of a drinker, an' I always try ta leave 'im alone when he's drinkin'. 'specially when it's rum."

Uma thought for a moment before holding out her hand. "Come on. I know a place where you'll be safe. Well, at least safer than a random alley."

Harry only hesitated a moment before taking her hand with his right. When they both started walking, Uma saw a glint of something coming from his left hand. It was a shiny, metal hook. "So, son of Hook..."

He looked at her sharply, clearly alarmed at how she could possibly know his heritage. Uma's response was to just keep walking and pull Harry along. "I'm a witch," she explained. After a moment, she spoke again, "And your hook kind of gives it away."

"Me da' gave it to me," he said quietly. "Only thing he ever gave ta me. Said I have to live up ta his legacy or some shite," Harry's voice easily turned from a mutter to oozing scorn. "I don't want ta be like him. Least, not all the way. I like the idea of bein' a pirate, but I don't wannae go chasin' after a fairytale dream. I wannae be the best damn pirate there ever was."

Something stirred deep within Uma's mind when she heard the word 'pirate'. Now that was something that she could imagine. She could practically see herself standing aboard a ship, barking orders and gazing out onto a great, wide sea. Fuck being queen of the world, Uma wanted to be queen of the pirates. And then the world.

The world. Uma had lived her entire life in captivity. Even though she had no idea what freedom was like, she longed for it. Harry's comment about being a pirate only strengthened her resolve to be free. She would be free, dammit. And she would explore the sea until there wasn't a seashell that she hadn't seen.

All too soon, the pair reached Ursula's Fish & Chips. Instead of walking right through the front door - and hearing her mother scream for her to wash the fryers - Uma took Harry around back. "Don't say a word," she whispered.

Nodding silently, Harry followed her into a small storage room.

"Wait here," she whispered again before vanishing through a door to Harry's right.

Uma wasn't sure how she was going to sneak food from under her mother's tentacles, but she knew she had to try. Luckily, the sea witch was turned away from the door to the kitchen. She was bent over a particularly nasty-looking pan, scrubbing away at the food remnants that had been baked on.

While keeping a close eye on Ursula, Uma opened up the fridge, reaching in and grabbing a bag of fish. Without taking her eyes off of her mother, the young girl tip-toed back to the storage room.

As soon as she walked into the cramped area, she was struck with how shocked Harry looked. She tossed him the bag, asking, "Why d'ya look so surprised?"

He busied himself with opening the bag, choosing to not look Uma in the eyes. "I didn't think you'd be back," came his reply.

Now it was Uma's turn to look surprised. Surely, he didn't believe that she could've forgotten about him. Did he? Maybe his old man did worse things to him than she had originally thought.

Pushing that thought away, Uma sat down on the floor next to Harry. She didn't know what to do, but she hoped that her actions would do the talking for her. People weren't very open or expressive on the Isle, and Uma was no exception.

Luckily, Harry seemed to understand. He offered her the bag of cold fried fish, and she took one.

As they leaned back against the wall, chewing on their pieces of fish, Harry glanced over at her. "Thank ye... Uma."

Now that time... That time Uma felt something. The warmth that had always been inside her pulsed. For a second, it felt like electricity was traveling down every single nerve. She could feel it start somewhere on her scalp, snake down her spine, and down both legs until it reached the very tips of her toes. Everywhere it traveled, Uma could feel a pleasant tingling sensation rippling out until her entire body seemed to hum. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling even as it faded away. She could still feel the after-effects of it, but only faintly.

"Uma? Are ye okay?"

At that, Uma's eyes shot open, and she fixes Harry with a wide smile. "Never better."


	3. Chapter 3

Uma was being suffocated.

Her mother was always so overbearing that it squelched any bit of love that Uma might have had for her. She was especially furious when Uma let it slip that she had decided to start a gang with the son of Hook as her second-in-command.

"You could've been so much more," Ursula sneered. "Now you're just a waste. This," she used a tentacle to gesture to Uma's entire body. "Is showing weakness. You're not supposed to make friends; you're supposed to have minions. You're such a disappointment." Ursula turned away but froze when Uma spoke up.

"I'm not a disappointment, and I'm not weak. I'm going to be queen of the pirates someday, and I'll sail away from this good-forsaken island." Uma straightened, fully ready to finally stand up to her mother.

Ursula whipped around at that. "What did you say to me?" Her voice was a low growl, warning Uma that she was on thin ice.

"I'm not a child anymore, _Mother_." Uma spat the last word as if it was a rancid piece of seafood. She knew that she should be treading carefully because her mother's outbursts were always dangerous. But that first feeling of true power had given Uma the confidence she needed.

She had only felt it a few times, but she was already addicted to it.

Ursula's only reaction to that was laughter. "You? Of course, you're a child! Did you think that just because you grew a little bit, you were entitled to be your own woman?"

Quicker than Uma could react, Ursula wrapped her tentacle around her daughter's throat, lifting her up and pinning her against the wall. "You will _never_ leave this Isle, and you will never, _ever_ get away from me."

Uma tugged at her mother's tentacle, but couldn't wrench herself away. Ursula was squeezing tighter and tighter. Uma felt her breathing shorten until she could only manage quick gasps.

"Look at you." Ursula leaned in close, visibly reveling in Uma's struggles. "So weak! So pathetic! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you and try again for a more loyal minion!"

"I've got one," came a voice from the doorway. Both witches looked over to see Harry Hook leaning against the door frame. His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes burned with blue fire. Uma idly wondered if he was related to Hades at all.

Harry took a step closer to the pair. "Because she is the strongest person on this Island, an' I'm proud ta call her cap'n. You should respect 'er, 'cause if ye don't, I'll have to hook ye." He pulled his trademark hook out from his coat just to prove his point. "Now, put Uma down."

The moment that Harry spoke her name, Uma felt the power flow through her again. Using the sudden burst of adrenaline, she tore the tentacle away from her throat. She collapsed to the ground, coughing.

Ursula glowered at Harry but turned her attention back to Uma, still on the floor. She leaned over until her face was mere inches away from Uma's. "You're no longer my daughter and if you want me to continue to protect you from the meaner villains on this Isle, you're going to have to do something for me."

Uma couldn't think. All she knew was that she needed to breathe. She was dimly aware of her mother threatening her but just didn't care. Finally, a voice broke through her haze: "Uma?" Harry sounded concerned, and Uma was tempted to tell him to leave, that this was a family matter.

Using her newfound strength, Uma slowly stood up so that she was facing her mother. She wanted to tell her to go fuck herself. She wanted to stand up to Ursula and gain her independence.

But, Uma knew that that wasn't the right choice. She had to be careful and choose the option that would benefit her most.

Thinking quickly, Uma weighed her options. She could take her mother's offer and enjoy protection. But she didn't even know what her end of their deal was. On the other hand, she could spit in her face and leave. But then, the only person who would look out for her safety would be herself. And possibly Harry, but Uma wasn't entirely sure about that.

It wasn't worth it, she decided. Lifting her chin, she looked her mother in the eye. "I accept." She heard Harry's noise of shock and surprise but didn't dare break eye contact.

A grin slowly spread across Ursula's face. "I'm going to need that in writing, dearie." Seemingly from nowhere, the sea witch produced a scrap of parchment. She took a moment to write down her terms on it before handing it and a quill to Uma.

"Don't do it!" Harry cried, rushing to stand next to Uma. He tried to grab the quill from her hand, but she pushed him away. She quickly scrawled her name on the line below her mother's writing.

"You made the right decision," Ursula hissed before turning and slithering out of the room.

Harry just stood there in front of Uma. "What've ye done?"

She looked up at him, eyes gleaming. "I did what was best for the pirate crew. And... I'd be proud to call you my first mate."

Harry grinned wide at that. "Wha'ever ye say... cap'n."

Uma smiled back at him. "What's my name?"

"Uma," he said, almost reverently. "I'll say yer name 'til I die."


	4. Chapter 4

Years passed, and Uma's crew gained more and more pirates. She only took the best, the most ruthless and cunning. Even though that meant that the number of Wharf Rats were slim, they were strong.

They were certainly strong enough that they should have beaten the Rotten Four by now. But, for some reason, they just couldn't best the little purple bitch.

That is, until today. Well, Uma hoped, but she put on a confident mask for her crew. "Attention!" She shouted, waiting for everyone to stop and pay attention to her. She had just finished her shift at the Chip Shop, so she was itching to get out and get some actual work done.

As Uma ran up the deck onto the forefront of the ship, she was pleased to see that all eyes were on her. She loved that, but not as much as hearing them all shout her name.

"Who wants to ambush Mal and her gang?!" Uma shouted again, reveling in the gleeful cries she got in response.

Harry was already at her side, grinning widely with that maniacal smile that she loved. "Aye, aye, cap'n," he said, giving her a salute and winking.

Uma inhaled deeply, loving the salty smell of the water, but choosing to ignore the stench of seafood and sweat. It smelled familiar, smelled like home. Definitely more so than Ursula's shop ever did.

But, like every day, now she had to go to work. The work that she actually enjoyed, rather than that menial chore of taking customers' orders.

No, this job she enjoyed.

* * *

Uma crept along an alley, keeping Mal in her sights. The four had just finished their routine of pissing off any and everyone on the Isle. Luckily, they weren't just running away. They stayed in a group, talking and laughing about something that Mal had done.

Whatever it was, Uma guessed that it was probably petty and unnecessary.

Right before she was about to give the order to ambush, the crowd parted, and Maleficent strode into view.

That was alarming, mainly because Maleficent ruled that Isle almost entirely from Bargain Castle. Everyone was fearful of her - except for Ursula, who claimed that she could have done a much better job of ruling.

So, why was she walking along the streets like any ordinary person?

Harry was pushing up behind Uma, urging her to give the signal to attack, but she held her hand up in a stay motion. She had nearly forgotten that he was behind her and couldn't see what was happening.

"...in Auradon." Maleficent ended her little speech with a sickly-sweet smile, gesturing for her goons to bring the Rotten Four back to Bargain Castle with her.

When they were finally out of sight, Uma stood up. Anger was radiating off of her in waves. Not only did she not get a chance to ambush the purple bitch, but that same bitch was getting invited to Auradon. That was something Uma had only dreamed about.

Even though she needed the Isle to live, Uma had wished that she could leave it. She wanted to be free and explore. To see a clear sky in the daytime and countless stars at night. But, more than anything else, she wanted a place where she didn't have to fend for herself.

True, Ursula provided her with half-decent food, and the ship was her shelter, but Uma knew that there was more in Auradon. She had seen a few picture books, just enough to get a sense of what life was like in the land of rainbows and sunshine. They had everything.

And now, Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay had everything because they were going to Auradon. And not her.

Why were they chosen instead of her? Were they somehow better than she or Harry were? What did they have that she didn't have?

It took a few moments to register that Harry was shaking her arm, trying to snap her out of it. She heard him saying her name over and over again, but the resulting feeling didn't help bring her back to reality. In fact, the tingles that she felt up and down her body only added to the numbness she was feeling.

Even as she felt Harry guide her back to The Lost Revenge, Uma couldn't get past one question. It kept swirling around in her head, the only thing she could focus on:

_Why not me?  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Uma was dimly aware of being led through the grimy streets of the Isle. She knew that there was the danger of losing her street cred - who would take her seriously if they saw her being practically carried by her first mate? But she just couldn't wrap her brain around it.

Mal. Mommy's girl. Stuck-up, green-eyed prick. She was going to the mainland. She and her _perfect little friends_. Uma even thought those words with spite. She wished she could tell that to Mal's face, wished she could let the bitch hear every word, dripping with venom.

Unfortunately, she was currently on the other side of the Isle, safely in her captain's quarters. Uma shivered slightly as she came back to her senses

There, in front of her, was Harry. He was grasping her shoulders, bending over slightly so that he could see her easier. "Look me in tha eyes, love. Yer gonna be fine. Just look in me eyes."

Pulling her hand away from her face, Uma caught a glimpse of her nails. She had bitten each one to nubs. Weird. She had never chewed her nails before.

Sucking in a slow breath, Uma forced herself to calm down enough to stare into her first mate's eyes. She could feel the pull of her anxiety, but that was drowned out by the pull of getting lost in those eyes.

No. Uma nearly looked away. She promised herself long ago that she would never again get lost in Harry Hook's eyes. But before she could tear her gaze away, he spoke.

"Do ye trust me?" His voice was even lower than normal, hinting to Uma that this was a serious question.

Trust was a tricky thing on the Isle. It didn't last long, and most people were skeptical of everyone they met. In a world of villains who barely tolerated each other, trust was the ultimate currency. It could give you someone to help you not starve when the barges were empty, or it could give you someone who used you and then stabbed you in the back.

Uma's mind was whirling and her stomach was doing flip-flops. She needed something to calm her down. Something... "Say my name," she whispered, speaking with none of her usual fire. There was no crew around, so there was no one she needed to motivate.

"Uma, ... Do ye trust me?"

It was still there. The intoxicating feeling of power tickled her scalp in just the right way. There was her answer; if he was fully devoted to her, then she trusted him with her life.

It was strange to think about, but she finally had someone she could trust completely. So, she nodded, answering his question.

Barely any time passed before Harry had rushed forward, trying to lock lips with Uma before she ducked away from his face. Her eyes widened and she made a small, startled noise before she shoved Harry away from her.

"What the h-" Uma started to shout before her stomach lurched. She bent over, groaning as a dull pain radiated through her body. She felt Harry next to her, trying to help, but she couldn't make out any of his words. Uma felt her knees buckle as she fell over onto the floor.

Her head was aching and it felt like her stomach had just walked the plank into shark-infested waters.

Suddenly, as quickly as it had begun, everything stopped. Uma stopped trembling on the floor, opening her eyes. Her headache had disappeared and the pain was gone.

"Uma?" Hearing her name gave Uma the energy to stand up. She still felt a bit dizzy, but she was able to hide it. She turned to Harry, taking in his confused and _scared?_ expression. "Wha' the hell was that?"

He deserved to know the truth. She should tell him the truth. "Just a bit of food poisoning. You might want to leave, because it's about to get ugly."

Harry slowly nodded, but Uma wasn't sure if that meant that he was understanding it or seeing through her lie. So, she did the only thing she could think of to do: order him to leave.

"Go, Harry. Remember, if you leave Gil at the Chip Shop alone too long, he'll eat all of the eggs."

"Aye aye, cap'n! Whate'er you say," Harry called over his shoulder as he sauntered out of the room, immediately following her command.

Uma sat down on the edge of her bed and cupped her chin in her palms.

She knew what that was. She didn't have to lie to Harry. But it made sense to lie. If he was getting attached to her, then her imminent death would only hurt him more.

Standing up, Uma adjusted her captain's hat until it was firmly on her head. The Rotten Four had just left the Isle, so their territory was empty. Uma pushed away any thoughts about magic and feeling its effects for the first time.

Moving smoothly, Uma grabbed the knife from her boot and threw it into the far wall, lodging it firmly between Mal's eyes on the picture. She hated her. Hated everything about her. Hated that she got to go to Auradon while Uma stayed in this stink hole. This Island was a prison, and four of her biggest enemies had just been let out.

She walked over and yanked it out of the wood, ignoring all the other gashes and stab marks marring the paper. Knife still in hand, Uma marched towards the door. It was time to expand her territory. She needed to vent, and looting Mal's precious belongings would have to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me on Tumblr, I'm yourlunarspice there: https://yourlunarspice.tumblr.com/. I'll answer any questions about my stories or writing process


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